Italian Wine, Piedmont

About Marchesi Di Barolo

The Cellars of Marchesi di Barolo are located in the village of Barolo, overlooking the castle of the Marquis Falletti.

In fact, the building which today houses the winery also belonged to the Marquis Falletti and became, upon the extinction of this prestigious dynasty, the site of the charitable foundation called Opera Pia Barolo.

The Marquise Giulia Vittorina Colbert di Maulévrier, great-grandaughter of the Finance Minister to the Sun King, was born in the Maulévrier Castle in Vandee, France, June 26, 1786 and, in 1806 in Paris, married the Marquis Carlo Tancredi di Barolo.

Once settled in the Palazzo Barolo in Turin, Giulia and her husband worked incessantly to realize ambitious projects geared towards helping the city's most needy.

In his book "The Land of Barolo," Cannon Domenico Massè refers to: "...that type of wine, that goes today by the name of Barolo, made by the Marchesi of Barolo at the beginning of the 1800s, which they produced with all due care on their vast estate at Barolo... In addition to the Marchesi Falletti, another person who made a major contribution to the fame of Barolo was Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, who brought Count Louis Odart to his castle at Grinzane to fabricate the famous Barolo that he served at his diplomatic lunches to the inevitable delight and admiration of his discerning guests".

With the demise of Marquise Giulia Colbert di Maulèvrier in 1864, the line of the Falletti of Barolo came to an end, but her legacy was perpetuated by the still-extant charitable foundation Opera Pia Barolo.

At about this very same time, Pietro Abbona was born and, in 1895, began working in the family's winecellars in Barolo. Thanks to his hard work, tenacity and skill, he was eventually able to acquire the cellars of the Marchesi di Barolo estate, along with the vineyards and the La Volta Castle.

Thus Massimo Martinelli, in his book Barolo As I Know It, says: "Of the personages connected with the name Barolo, some may be considered of historic importance, real and true pioneers...(of these) people first place goes to Pietro Abbona, undisputed patriarch of Barolo...who, as an unquestionable stand-bearer, made the wine of his region known throughout the world. It was from his winery that Barolo made its first historic steps. His large wood casks (some of which one can still be admired today in the cellars in Barolo) were in fact part of the legacy of the Marquise Falletti. Commendatore Abbona inheredited a longstanding tradition, a love of the vineyards, the wineries and wine itself, and he brought his label displaying the castles of Barolo and Serralunga to the furthest tables. And it is with pleasure that we recall this great contribution."

Today Marchesi di Barolo remains a family business. Since 2006, it has been under the direction of the family of Ernesto Abbona which, with more than 60% of the shares, has a majority control.

This has permitted an increase in productivity and refocusing of commercial strategy which is the reason behind the growth of the business in recent years. The operating principle behind the business is a firm conviction of and commitment to the indisputable quality of the wines produced in this region, as characterized by a number of indigenous vines of great prestige.

Vineyards

The composition of the soil in the lower regions of Piedmont is quite unique. Comprised of marine deposits once covered by water and shifted about through successive geologic events, the hills of the Langhe display a quite irregular shape and profile, and vary greatly in soil composition: older formations are characterized by compact earth with a high content of clay and chalk while those of more recent origin are generally looser and richer in quartzite sand and lime.

To this ample diversity of soil types, and the particular sub-Alpine micro-climate associated with it, the unique -- one might even say historic -- contribution of human experience has resulted in the correlation of a specific type of grapevine with each specific area of the region, thereby translating this special synthesis of place, climate and culture into the apex of quality and elegance.

Thus, the choice of Marchesi di Barolo has been and will increasingly be the faithful interpretation of the diversity of place and of the indigenous vines, while rigorously maintaining the typicity of its products.

Marchesi di Barolo can be considered a medium-sized winery: it controls approximately 110 hectares of vineyards from which it produces approximately 1,500,000 bottles of wine.

The winery produces Barolo, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo d'Alba, Barbera d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Alba, Roero Arneis, Gavi, Moscato d'Asti e Brachetto d'Acqui. To better display and do justice to this rich diversity, each category includes some of the region's most historically significant bottling's, such as: